Will new Taiwan films catch on overseas?

After a slump of over a decade, Taiwan’s home-grown films are not only sweeping box offices at home but also winning awards and hit status overseas, thanks to a new cohort of filmmakers.

Box-office revenues for local films as of the middle of this month had already set a new record of NT$1.5 billion (S$64 million) – triple the full-year figure last year, and up a staggering 200-fold from 2001.

Once best known for its arthouse films, the island has recently produced blockbusters with broad appeal, thanks to themes that resonate with large swathes of the public.

Monga, which topped Taiwan’s box office last year and which was screened at the Berlin film festival, portrays a brotherhood of five boys and touches on social issues, such as gang violence and teenage bullying.